Lifting magnet having a corner less than 90 degrees



y 1, 1965 A. L. WRIGHT 3,183,417

LIFTING MAGNET HAVING A CORNER LESS THAN 90 DEGREES Filed April 19, 1963 INVENTOR- A00 1. We/owr ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,183,417 LIFTING MAGNET HAVING A CORNER LESS THAN 90 DEGREES Add Lee Wright, 1919 Manhattan St, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed Apr. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 274,283 4 Claims. (Cl. 317-164) This invention relates to a lifting magnet and relates more particularly to a magnet member adapted for lifting ferrous materials from a container means such as conventional gondola cars having substantially right-angular portions.

As conducive to a better understanding of the instant invention, it is to be understood that ferrous materials, such as scrap iron or the like, are conventionally transported from place to place in gondola cars which are substantially rectangular inform having right-angular corner portions and open tops. Lifting magnets are used to remove the ferrous materials from the gondola cars and it has been difiicult, if not impossible, for the magnet members used heretofore to lift all of the ferrous materials from the gondola cars because they have not been capable of getting into the corners thereof.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a lifting magnet which is free from the foregoing and other disadvantages.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a lifting magnet having at least one sharp corner to facilitate magnetic engagement of the magnet member with ferrous materials disposed in relatively inaccessible portions of a container means, such as a gondola car or the like.

A further object of the instant invention is the provision of a device of the type described, which is substantially parallelogram-shaped in horizontal cross-section, having relatively sharp corners adapted to reach ferrous materials disposed in substantially right-angular portions of a gondola car or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a lifting magnet having oppositely disposed corners each forming an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

Yet another object of the instant invention is the provision of an electromagnetic lifting means having sharp corners for lifting ferrous scrap from otherwise relatively inaccessible portions of a gondola car or the like.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a lifting electromagnet, substantially parallelogram-shaped, having portions defining spaced parallelogram-shaped magnetic poles with sides parallel to, and spaced from, the sides of the magnet member itself, and a magnetic winding wrapped around each of the parallelogram-shaped magnetic poles to increase the strength of the magnetic field in the sharp corners of the magnet member.

Other and further objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a gondola car or the like containing a ferrous material and showing the relationship of a lifting magnet in accordance with the instant inventive concept as it reaches into one of the substantially right-angular corners thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view to a larger scale of the lifting magnet of this invention, with parts broken away for illustrative convenience;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of a 3,183,417 Patented May 11, 1965 means for attaching the lifting cables to the magnet member;

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIGURE 1, a lifting magnet in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and is shown as disposed within a container means 12, such as a conventional gondola car or the like, substantially rectangular in form, having a plurality of right-angular portions 14 and containing a ferrous material such as scrap iron or the like indicated by the reference numeral 16.

With particular reference now to FIGURES 2 to 4, the lifting magnet 10 is comprised basically of a magnet member 18 and lifting means 20 including a plurality of lifting cables 22 having a ring 24 engageable by a hook or the like 26 of a conventional crane (not shown). The magnet member 18 has at least one sharp corner of less than degrees and is preferably parallelogram-shaped as seen best in FIGURES 1 and 4, having oppositely disposed corners 28 forming an angle of approximately 45 degrees to facilitate reaching into the right-angular portions 14 of the container means 12 as seen in FIGURE 1.

It is conventional in such lifting operations to use electromagnets in order to increase the lifting power and the concept of the instant invention is particularly applicable thereto. The lifting magnet 10 has a top plate 30 to which the lifting cables 22 are secured as will be further explained in detail hereinafter. Peripheral side walls 32 and a bottom plate 34 and portions of the magnet member 18 define spaced parallelogram-shaped magnetic poles 36 having sides parallel to, and spaced from, the side walls 32 and separated by a center wall 38, the side walls 32 and center wall 38 defining additional poles of the magnet member 18. A magnetic winding 40 is wrapped around each of the parallelogram-shaped poles 36 as seen particularly in FIGURES 3 and 4 and the leads thereof 42 pass through the top plate 30 and are operatively connected to a means (not shown) to energize the winding 49. It will be noted that the winding 40 is so disposed as to increase the magnetic field in the corners 28 of the magnet member 18 for better lifting power of the ferrous material 16.

The lifting cables 22 may be secured to the magnet member 18 in any conventional manner, one such embodiment being shown in FIG. 5. The top plate 30 has bifurcated lug members 48 integrally defined therewith, rod members 50 supporting a ring 52 through which the lifting cables 22 pass to be secured by any conventional clamping means 46.

The use and operation of the lifting magnet of the instant invention will now be apparent. The magnetic Winding 40 is energized through the leads 42 and the magnet member 18 is moved into magnetic engagement with the ferrous material 16 in the c ontainer means 12 until a supply of the same is attracted thereto. The magnet member 18 is then lifted from the container means 12 and positioned over a dump or a truck or the like, and the magnetic winding 40 de-energized to drop the ferrous material therefrom. The ferrous material 16 disposed in the right-angular or otherwise normally inaccessible portions of the container means 12 may be readily reached by the sharp corners 28 of the magnet member 18 to completely clear the container means 12 of ferrous material. If a permanent magnet is utilized, it is obvious that other means must be provided for removing the ferrous material 16 attracted thereto in order to release the same.

The lifting magnet of the instant invention can pick up any amount of scrap from very light pieces to 80,000 pounds.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved lifting magnet satisfying all of the objectives of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a lifting magnet for lifting ferrous material from a container means having substantially right-angular portions, and including an electromagnet member and a lifting means secured thereto, said magnet member includ ing at least one magnetic Winding, portions of said magnet member defining at least one magnetic pole, said magnetic winding being wrapped around said one magnetic pole, further portions of said magnet member defining at least one additional magnetic pole spaced from said one magnetic pole, and means to energize said magnetic winding, said magnet member having at least one sharp corner of less than 90 to facilitate magnetic engagement of said magnet member with ferrous material disposed in said right-angular portions of said container means.

2. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said magnet member is substantially parallelogram-shaped in horizontal cross-section.

3. A structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein said magnet member includes oppositely disposed corners each forming an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

4. A structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first-mentioned portions of said magnet member define spaced parallelogram-shaped magnetic poles having sides parallel to, and spaced from, the sides of said magnet member, said magnetic winding being Wrapped around each of said parallelogram-shaped magnetic poles.

References Eited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,366,919 1/45 Lillquist et al 317-164 2,457,421 12/48 Warren 317'159 FOREIGN PATENTS 844,655 9/ 52 Germany. 777,315 6/57 Great Britain.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

JOHN F. BURNS, Examiner. 

1. IN A LIFTING MAGNET FOR LIFTING FERROUS MATERIAL FROM A CONTAINER MEANS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT-ANGULAR PORTIONS, AND INCLUDING AN ELECTROMAGNET MEMBER AND A LIFTING MEANS SECURED THERETO, SAID MAGNET MEMBER INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE MAGNETIC WINDING, PORTIONS OF SAID MAGNET MEMBER DEFINING AT LEAST ONE MAGNETIC POLE, SAID MAGNETIC WINDING BEING WRAPPED AROUND SAID ONE MAGNETIC POLE, FURTHER PORTIONS OF SAID MAGNET MEMBER DEFINING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL MAGNETIC POLE SPACED FROM SAID ONE MAGNETIC POLE, AND MEANS TO ENERGIZE SAID MAGNETIC WINDING, SAID MAGNET MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE SHARP CORNER OF LESS THAN 90* TO FACILITATE MAGNETIC ENGAGEMENT OF SAID MAGNET MEMBER WITH FERROUS MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SAID RIGHT-ANGULAR PORTIONS OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS. 